Section 900: Physical Plant

Effective: December 1, 1999
Revised: January 2022; September 2024
Last Review: September 2024
Next Review: September 2026
Responsible Party: Chancellor

The following policies and procedures governing the utilization of University space have been adopted to promote the most efficient use of University resources.

  1. All space is to be considered Montana State University-Northern space. Utilization of University space shall be the decision of the Chancellor, who has authority to assign or reassign space on campus. All space assignments are temporary, but remain in effect until formal reassignment occurs.
  2. The Chancellor may assign responsibility for campus space (including, but not limited to offices, classrooms and laboratories, conference rooms and lounges) to one of several administrative divisions: (A) the Chancellor; (B) the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs/Provost; (C) the Vice Chancellor of Student Success t or (D) the Registrar.
  3. The principal administrator for the divisions described in part 2 may make further delegations of space management within his/her division to other individuals, hereinafter called unit managers. For example, the Chancellor may delegate responsibility for certain space to the Director of Athletics; the Provost may delegate management responsibility for faculty offices, classrooms, conference rooms and laboratories to the college dean.
  4. Individuals with delegated responsibility for management of space shall make decisions with respect to the assignment, use, reassignment, and alteration of such space. Those decisions should be made, as much as possible, in consultation with the people affected by the decision.
  5. If an individual office, laboratory, or similar space is to be altered or repaired, reasonable efforts must be made to notify the occupant(s) sufficiently in advance to allow for protection of the contents of the space.
  6. Individuals with delegated responsibility for management of space, in consultation with the Physical Plant, shall seek approval from the Chancellor or the Chancellor's designee when proposed space alterations appear to have significant implications for the aesthetic appearance of the campus, will diminish the utilization and enjoyment of space by other units, or will limit the use of such space in the future for other purposes. In the preceding circumstances, reasonable efforts should be made to confer with all affected parties.
  7. No general assignment classroom, laboratory, conference/seminar room, or other facility dedicated to instruction may be converted to non-instructional purposes without the explicit approval of the Chancellor or the Chancellor's designee.
  8. Except in cases of natural or family emergencies, space assigned to individual faculty or staff may not be entered without the permission of the faculty or staff member or the responsible individual or unit manager. Permission for custodial or repair work is assumed under the guidelines set out in section 5 above.
  9. Anyone entering a locked room or area has the responsibility for locking the protected space when leaving.
  10. Except in cases of natural or family emergencies, property not owned by Montana State University-Northern may not be removed from space assigned to individual faculty or staff without permission of the owner.
  11. Control of property owned by Montana State University-Northern is set out in MSUN policy 903.1.

References:

Policy 903.1 University Property and Facilities Rental
Policy 903.5 Control of University-Owned Property